Slipknot - Iowa

Next is a more recent classic ..well it's only 10 years old
Slipknot - Iowa

This album sees Slipknot at their most brutal, the sonics are relentless and dark.
The band, I believe, at the recording stage of this album were so upset with each other after the relentless touring (of their first album) with
no respite. The anger spews from every note.
The opening skit '515' just contains the band gargling the word death over and over. This is followed by the very Kreator-like
'People = S**t' The album slows up a little during the chorus refrain in 'MY Plague'as well as in the intro to the menacing 'Skin Ticket' and that's about it.
Slayer, Pantera & Korn are the obivious influences on this album. Slayer's sound is especially heard through 'The Heretic Anthem'.
This song even has a sing-a-long chorus, yes seriously 'If you're 555, I'm 666' now that would really upset the PMRC (washington wives
censorship group).
Some critics said this album is a little too cartoon and tries a little too hard to shock. In some ways I agree, the lyrics are a little naive, however for a
mood album it works wonders. At the time Slipknot were still filed under 'Novelty' band by some people due to the masks
and OTT stage performance. 'Iowa' in some way helped to dispel that, partly due to having Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit) manning the control
boards, without whom this could have been a right mess with so much going on. The track 'Gently' shows some great touches in the build of the track
really on par with Soundgardens 'Gun'. My own personal fave track is the epic title track clocking in just over 15 minutes long. This was a departure from the rest of the album.
It mixed a really Korn-like sound with a bit Mr. Bungle & tribal Sepultura and ended quite chaotic.
Also pop pickers a reminder this went to number 1 in the UK album charts!!!
Link to youtube for a Live Version Of The Heretic Anthem

WHY I  ♥ THIS ALBUM

At the new dawn that was Nu-metal, I considered Slipknot as a jokey band like 'The Insane Clown Posse' but with this album I was reminded of the concrete slamming
effect both Slayer & Pantera had on me. First of all I could not get use to Corey Taylor's vocal style until I heard it very loud and all those comparisons to Max from Sepultura
came through. Twice now I have been dissapointed on not seeing them live in recent years. 2008 they cancelled their Reading appearance due to a injury to Joey Jordison. At Reading a plane kept flying over on the Sunday
(the day that they cancelled) advertising their forthcoming December headlining tour. This was greeted by a volley of boos.

Then in 2009 @ Download I decided not to go due to other festival commitments.
However make no mistake I am looking forward to seeing them in July 2011 at Sonisphere.

Living Colour - Vivid

Next stop on the journey, the decade taste apparantly forgot - THE 80's.
3. Living Colour - Vivid
In 1988 coming from the same scene as 24-7 Spyz & Fishbone, Living Colour brought a colourful and funky vibe to the hard rock scene that
was being saturated by hair metal bands. The members had all belonged to the Black Rock Coalition (an organization for black musicians who
wanted to play 'rock' music).The band was also championed by Mick Jagger who helped finance some demos.
The album opened with what is probably the most well known track 'Cult Of Personality' a political charged headbanger, complete with a crushing riff from
guitarist Vernon Reid (this song even won a grammy in 1990). Youtube video of Cult Of Personality live 1989
However this is not the best track on this album. In my humble opinion this was the Caribbean
flavoured 'Glamour Boys' a song that the RHCP would've killed for, especially in 1988.
Other outstanding songs are the angry rocking 'Middle Man' and the sombre 'Open Letter (To The Landlord)'.The album is consistently good with no
fillers even the Talking Heads Cover 'Memories Can't Wait' (Which I didn't realise was a cover, as never really being a fan) is outstanding.
So go and revisit this album it's worth it and remember without this we would unlikely to have Rage Against The Machine or The Red Hot Chili Peppers
in the mainstream. Also if you pick up the re-released version or listen on Spotify you'll have the added bonus of a funky version of the Clash's
'Should I Stay Or Should I Go?'
WHY I ♥ THIS ALBUM

Raw Magazine Review

It was March 14th 1989, I am at Hammersmith Odeon in West London to see Anthrax on their 'Road To Euphoria' tour. I had heard that Living Colour were
supporting the 'Thrax' but unlike many of the people who had bought tickets, I wanted to see them. I had heard only 2 tracks by them at that time 'Funny Vibe' and 'Cult'on
Radio 210 (Brian Pithers RIP), They kicked off with 'Memories' to a hall with only about 300 people in.
However the band tore the place apart with riff after riff. Corey Glover's vocals were outstanding.The sound was crystal clear for a support band (Kudos for Anthrax for that).
I was pleased the audience were really into it and not treating the performance with the indifference that the majority of the people in the bar were.
I feel those outside missed out on something special that night in Hammersmith.

Kiss Destroyer

2. Album number two is Kiss 'Destroyer'.

Released in 1976 this was the follow up to the mega selling Alive, that brought Kiss into the mainstream.
Destroyer showed a band full of energy and definitely in the ascendancy. The production was going forward by leaps and bounds, by bringing in Bob Ezrin
(Alice Cooper) they threw everything into the mix. Choirs, voice overs, car crashes and even classical orchestration.
This would have counted for nothing if the songwriting hadn't been up to scratch and that didn't disappoint either.
From the pop sounding 'Shout It Out Loud' the doom metal of 'God Of Thunder' to the power ballad 'Great Expections', Kiss left nothing out. Youtube Live From 1996 'Shout It Out Loud'
After seeing Kiss so many times now it's hard not to see these songs as anything else than classics, I can only hear them as a live show these days.
The pyro's that will go off during 'Detroit Rock City', The blood pouring from Gene Simmons before & during 'God Of Thunder' and Paul Stanley delivering the
line ''You Like My Seven Inch Leather Heels' to an arena of thousands of hetro men.
'Beth' is probably the best known track but I feel this is the weakest, that may be by being overplayed, I'm not sure! but that is the only gripe I have
with this album.
Also worth a mention is the cover artwork by Ken Kelly who drew Kiss as the superheroes they would become to many other musicians especially in the metal and

alternative scenes.

WHY I ♥ THIS ALBUM
As you may have guessed I am a big Kiss fan, back in 1992 during Kiss 'Revenge' tour, London held host to a 'KISS' day. A convention at the now defunct Astoria,
signing at HMV and then a show at Wembley Arena. So off I went with a very good friend of mine, Karen Ruse. At the convention (organized by Peters Criss's ex-wife) was a Kiss

disco, various sellers of Kiss memorabilia and a set by Dressed To Kill (tribute band). There we met a nice guy from Portugal, Alex, who had travelled all over Europe watching Kiss

on this particular tour.

Also in attendance was Ray Zell, who if you know your Metal, is the creator and artist for Pandora (Kerrang Vixen). There were rumours of Kiss turning up

which we all thought was out of the question, however after a little while the lights went down and the Kiss intro tape rumbled on. And then there they were about 6 feet away...Paul,

Gene, Bruce & Eric Singer. What a day!!!! The show in the evening was killer!!!! One of the best I've been to.

Also Happy Birthday Today To Paul Stanley :-)

The Journey Begins : The Doors

Well the journey begins... I am going to start with the oldest album on my 300 list:
1.The Doors - The Doors

The Doors debut album was first released in 1967 showing the decade's dark side,compared with what had been before
( Flowers in my hair etc).
With the opening track 'Break On Through' The Doors had set out their intent for the rest of the album.
This track is I believe, one of the greatest openers on any album but the classics didn't stop there. We all know Light My Fire
but other tracks such as the playful 'Alabama Song' (Well the lyrics aren't exactly 'Playful') and the stomping 'Twentieth
Century Fox' are my own personal favourites. Jim Morrison shows he has such versatility one moment rock god,
the next a story teller
The album closes with the 11 minute epic 'The End' (A song I once wanted as my wedding march,If the day
would have come when I was 19.) A very ambitious track to release on an album in any era.
Classic!! The Doors The End From Oliver Stones Film
WHY I  ♥ THIS ALBUM
' The End' reminds of a old friend called Howard Alleway (Song writer of Man In The Corner and film maker)
Not long after meeting him for the first time, I was shown a film that was a work in progress. It involved lights and mirrors and included excerpts of Jack Nicholson losing the plot in 'The Shining' . All this was set to the music 'The End'.
RED RUM

A Bit Of Background

This blog is a project that I've wanted to do for a long long time. It will be a little self indulgent but it will be my little corner of the web.
On this blog I plan to give me opinion on my 300 fave albums, this will involve a music review and for the most part a story maybe of some memories it invokes.
I will use people's names. However if you do see that you are on here and don't want your name published then please e-mail me and I will replace it with a name of my choosing.
The 300 that I have chosen do have some rescritions, No greatest hits, best of's, live albums, or soundtracks.
My musical tastes are quite eclectic from metal to hip hop, old skool rave to old skool electro and from folk to pop. (however there is a lack of electro never a genre for albums)!
I will encourage feedback from you the public as to your opinion to my posts.
We will begin our music journey very soon......

Thank you

Jamie